WD Releases Its Fastest External Hard Drive

Western Digital Corp. (WD) has introduced its fastest My Book external hard drive, which uses the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface that's up to 10 times faster than previous-generation USB 2.0 drives.

WD said the new high-performance My Book 3.0 drive reduces the time it takes to open and save large files due to the the USB 3.0 specification's support for up to 5Gbit/sec throughput compared to the 480Mbit/sec throughput capacity of USB 2.0.

The new drives allow users to open and save files up to 4.7 times faster than drives with USB 2.0 as long as the computer has a USB 3.0 port, the company said.

My Book 3.0 currently comes in 1TB capacities, and WD is expected to announce a 2TB model later this week. The disks are offered as standalone products or in a kit that includes a USB 3.0 PCIe (gen2) adapter card.

"Consumers no longer have to wait for technology to keep up with their ideas. With the new super speed My Book 3.0 drives, consumers have the speed they need for resource-intensive video editing, animation, and graphic design applications," Dale Pistilli, vice president of marketing for WD's branded products group, said in a statement.

The new My Book 3.0 drives are backward compatible with USB 2.0 computer ports and have a 2-year limited warranty. The 1TB drives are retailing for $179.99. The My Book 3.0 drive kit with USB 3.0 PCIe adapter card is $199.99 retail.